Powerball winner sold in central Indiana! From confusion to conviction, Richmond Hill blast recapped. Minch: "Before that, you did have some problems with the pilot light on the furnace?" Monserrate Shirley said Mark Leonard was very, very mad., Mark Leonard said, Were going to do it again. Until shed agreed and signed on the dotted line, there were things I could not tell them. At the end of the day, we still miss her and him, Dion, as much as ever, Buxton said. So there wasnt a great deal of pressure on us, or desire by us, to offer her anything.. It's also possible she will walk free if the judge sentences. One small job. Robinson also couldnt tell the residents that Shirleys cooperation would mean charges against two more suspects: Gary Thompson and Glenn Hults. But ultimately I think we were able to accomplish what we needed to do for her.. Dion and Jennifer Longworth, two occupants in the house at 8355 Fieldfare Way, died in the explosion; seven others were injured. Your email address will not be published. A tag already exists with the provided branch name. Its a difficult case. Resolved: Release in which this issue/RFE has been resolved. When she told him, Holts said, "Between Mark and Gary, they're going to blow up the whole neighborhood.". Taking them at face value, taking them at what they told the court, they believed that since it was going to come up in the trial they should talk about it during jury selection, Robinson said. She could face 20-50 years in prison. [20] The trials started in 2015. She and her husband Gabriel Ferrer (son of Rosemary Clooney and Jos Ferrer, and a first cousin to George Clooney) had four children: Jordan Alexander Ferrer (born July 8, 1980), twin girls (Gabrielle Monserrate Ferrer & Dustin Boone Ferrer, born September 17, 1983), and Tessa Ferrer (born March 30, 1986). Prosecutors ended by asking Shirley if the Longworths or any of her other neighbors deserved what happened. On Thursday, Shirley worked a 12 hour shift. Prosecutors told Judge Marnocha Tuesday they will likely rest their case next Wednesday or Thursday. ", "Richmond Hill explosion suspects to get separate trials", "Attorneys: Change of venue likely in Monserrate Shirley case", "Richmond Hill suspect trial moved to South Bend", "Defendant in deadly Indiana explosion agrees to plea deal", "Richmond Hill trial: Informant says Mark Leonard wanted witness killed", "Home> U.S. Indianapolis House Explosion: Suspect Charged in Murder-for-Hire Plot", "Marion county prosecutor's office asks for life without parole sentences in richmond hill explosion", "Richmond Hill trial to focus on greed and desperation", "Mark Leonard convicted of murder in explosion scheme", "Mark Leonard gets life without parole for Richmond Hill explosion", "Richmond Hill explosion mastermind Mark Leonard dies", "Cause of death of Richmond Hill conspirator Mark Leonard determined", "Richmond Hill explosion culprit Mark Leonard dies at Indy hospital", "Leonard found guilty of all counts in Richmond Hill trial", "Indianapolis man get 2 life sentences in deadly house blast", "Psychologist Says Monserrate Shirley Was Abused as Child, Has 'Dependent Personality Disorder', "Monserrate Shirley sentenced to maximum 50 years in prison", "Gary Thompson sentenced in Richmond Hill explosion after pleading guilty to arson charge", "Glenn Hults sentenced to 3 years in deadly Richmond Hill blast", Affidavit of Probable Cause, Dec. 20, 2012, Affidavit of Probable Cause, April 14, 2015, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Richmond_Hill_explosion&oldid=1133693717, November 2012 crimes in the United States, Articles with incomplete citations from March 2015, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 15 January 2023, at 02:18. She died at age 85 in 2014, but Shirley Temple's childrenand fans gathered in LA on Monday, April 23 to celebrate what would have been her 90th birthday. But I cant do that, and everybody knows you cant do that, but sometimes theres this perception that getting through the justice system will make things better. She was upset when she got home that night and saw her nicer digital thermostat sitting on the kitchen island and the new cheaper model on the wall. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. "I moved out in February of 2011," he said. Mark Leonard is on trial in South Bend in connection to the explosion in the Richmond Hill neighborhood that killed Jennifer and Dion Longworth in November 2012. Bob Leonard's son told investigators that several items were in the van that had been taken from the home, including photos and financial documents. When a defense attorney comes out and says, My client didnt do anything at all, but you clearly can show they did, then usually its going to be an all-or-nothing verdict, Robinson said. Monserrate Shirley was ordered to serve out her sentence at the Indiana Womens Prison in Indianapolis. Police became suspicious when they uncovered evidence that the couple had taken similar steps the previous weekend; the cat had been boarded and Shirley's daughter had been placed with a babysitter overnight before the couple went to the casino. She then got food for them both and went back to the room around midnight. She owned the house. One of the projects he took on was working on the gas line in the fireplace. I had seen it used in a couple of games, but I never knew it was the name of a real person. . Example video title will go here for this video. "I mean, sometimes I wish I was there and I'd be dead, and now I wouldn't have to be asked so many questions.". I did my best. Shirley would receive over $300,000 in insurance money for the replacement of the home as well as personal items. More than one-third of the families who lived in the neighborhood on the night of the blast have since moved away for good. The defense said if prosecutors wrapped up early enough on Thursday, they could call all of their witnesses that day alone and closing arguments could be held Friday, July 10. The here, in this case, was the knowing murder of Dion and Jennifer Longworth. Jordan Fischer is the senior digital reporter for RTV6. Authorities blamed a natural gas explosion inside the home of Monserrate Shirley, who was away at the time of the explosion. She lived in the four-bedroom, two-and-a-half-bath home with her daughter. monserrate is a real-life cousin of Shirley, and its said that her daughter monserrate will be taking us on when we die. Two mental health experts testified that her childhood could have contributed to her decision to stay with Mark Leonard and go along with his plan to blow up her house for insurance money. It was never no for an answer. To the uninitiated, it seems to be a reference to a nickname used by the family of the deceased who are being called Shirley by their name. It would have shortened the trial a week. You were a nurse. On December 21, 2012, Monserrate Shirley, Mark Leonard, and his brother Bob Leonard were charged with 2 counts of felony murder and . "Shortly thereafter I moved some furniture into the apartment. She talked about being Catholic and said it was in God's hands, but still, they should be punished.". If your child will play baseball or softball this spring, youll need to stock up on appropriate clothing and equipment. The couple's steamy relationship lasted for about a month before they moved in together. See also:Shantonia Heard of Atlanta Left Her 2 Children Alone With No Power and Gas Oven On, Police Say Apartment Fire Safety Tips Man Killed as Gas Explosion Destroys Connecticut Home. His defense team admitted that the blaze had been intentionally set, but told jurors it was only intended to be a small fire and that murder was never his intention. "That's not what you told me," she remembered saying to Mark. The home of Monserrate Shirley was the center of the explosion that resulted in the deaths of next-door neighbors John "Dion" Longworth and his wife Jennifer (ne Buxton), the injuries of seven others, and $4 million in property damage. She found a house with a floorplan she liked." But she put an end to that in August 2011.". The Richmond Hill neighbors had been waiting long enough without a trial. I said, You guys are crazy, that my house is too big.. PREVIOUS|Timeline of events|Gallery: The Richmond Hill Explosion|Where were you at 11:11 PM? FORT WAYNE, Ind. [37] She is serving her sentence at Indiana Women's Prison in Indianapolis. "I am a nurse. [6] One woman had previously won a $70,000 judgment against Leonard in a civil suit after lending him $53,000, which he never repaid. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Prosecutors entered all three into evidence Tuesday. It also didnt carry much weight for the families of Dion and Jennifer Longworth, who died in the blast. Investigators have ruled out a natural gas leak from the home's underground pipelines, the Star reported, and they are now focusing on whether there may have been a leak from one of the gas appliances inside three homes that were obliterated in the explosion. Arguing for the maximum in this case, when you live with this case and you see the impact, and you know what devastating effect its had on these lives, it just compels you to argue for that, said Robinson. Shirley's daughterwent with them in Leonard's Cadillac. [5], Monserrate "Moncy" Shirley, a nurse, owned the home at the center of the explosion. FULL STORY | Mark Leonards friend says he knew too much. Leonard was being held at the Wabash Valley Correctional Facilitybut was transferred to the hospital several days ago. According to Shirleys account, she was struggling to stay financially afloat when she met Leonard, and within a month of dating, he came up with the idea. Marion County Superior Court Judge Sheila Carlisle sentenced Monserrate Shirley to spend the maximum sentence of 50 years in prison on Tuesday. She even took some leave from work to stay with him longer than her paid vacation time allowed. Defense attorney David Shircliff then said Shirley may not have provided the "means" for the explosion, but she took care of the logistics to make sure no one realized she was helping blow up her own home. I look at a neighbor that I would have been happy to help if she would have just come across the street and said, man I got a problem will you give me a hand? Defense counsel said the deposition version showed she was actually in favor of burning the house down, she just didn't want to get caught. [9], Investigators discovered a number of allegations of insurance fraud and other scams by Leonard prior to the blast, particularly involving stolen or wrecked automobiles. Monserrate Shirley detailed the multiple attempts made to set the house on fire prior to the explosion that leveled the home. In 2017, Leonard wasconvicted and received an additional 50-year sentencein a murder-for-hire scheme authorities say he concocted from jail after his arrest. Shirley and her boyfriend were hoping to collect $300,000 in insurance . It had three gas appliances - the water heater, the furnace and the fireplace. She and Mark then gassed up her car and drove to the casino. An offhand comment would change that. On the other two days, Robinson still the head of the prosecutors homicide division would review pending cases and prepare for other trials on her plate. In a deposition before the trial, though, she reported saying, "I'm not doing this. Sometimes they would go during the week while her daughterwas at school and leave in enough time to pick her back up.
Incredicoaster Drop Angle,
Pro Flight Wakeboard Tower Parts,
Burkhart Funeral Home Talihina, Ok,
Articles M